[Alex is still on hiatus, but enjoy what Dean has to say about the last and next week’s comics.]
Dean’s Top Picks
Best of the past week: I Love Trouble #1 – It was a light week for me last week and that allows an interesting comic to win pick of the week. Avengers #1 was probably my runner-up, but I can’t give honors to a comic that makes such blatant use of The Worf Effect to establish new villains. ILT was just a breath of fresh air and whimsy. I loved the art and the story was streamlined. I’ll certainly be back for the second issue.
Most anticipated this week: 1). The Walking Dead #105 – It’s amazing how the problems with the TV program haven’t dulled my enthusiasm for the comic at all. TWD is back in that groove where I can’t wait to see what happens next; it compels you to read it and turn the pages. A certain younger member of our cast was in an interesting place last issue and I’m very curious to see what happens.
2). Batman #15 – I’m generally not a huge fan of classic villains for superheros, but the talent level on Batman is SO high that they can succeed in spite of this being a Joker story. It’s funny now to look back at all those stories about how Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo didn’t get along at the beginning of their run on Batman because they are a great team now. These guys really understand how to do an unsettling comic book.
3). Hollows #1 – Are you a Sam Kieth fan? If so, this is your annual dose of something Kieth-related because art like this can’t happen on a monthly schedule. If you’re not familiar, you should definitely check this out because I think everyone remembers reading their first Sam Kieth comic. The story is something horror themed and that suits Kieth’s artistic sensibilities.
4). Change #1 – Image Comics has been on a nice run with new #1 issues, so I’m giving this a chance. It’s about some sinister forces threatening Los Angeles at different points in time and an group of misfit characters who have to defend the city. Could be interesting….
5). The Massive #7 – This series has really picked up since Gerry Brown took over the art duties a few issues ago. Not sure if he’s alternating story arcs or not, but I really like his work and he’s helped to pull me into the story. It still isn’t 100% clear what writer Brian Wood is going for with this series, but he’s very nicely established this post-crash world. Now he just needs to bring in a central plot and we’ll be good to go.
Grade
Conclusion